EchoStar-SpaceX spectrum deal catches more heat

SpaceX’s spectrum arrangement with EchoStar is drawing fresh opposition, this time from tower and infrastructure companies. The fight comes on top of a separate dispute between SpaceX and Liberty Latin America over spectrum rights in Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands.

Infrastructure owners want the FCC to step in and force Dish Wireless, now part of EchoStar, to clear its outstanding payments for tower leases and related services. They argue the commission should treat Dish’s unpaid bills as a condition in any decision involving the EchoStar-SpaceX spectrum plans, tightening pressure on the satellite venture while long-running financial and regulatory tensions play out.